Date Interrupted
by Kermit's Rainbow Connection
Summary: Merlin and Freya did run away together, but what consequences await them for their decisions? With Arthur thinking Merlin has been kidnapped in the middle of the night since he can find no other reason why Merlin would leave him, things can get... complicated. AU of Lady in the Lake. Pairings: Merlin/Freya and Merlin/Arthur friendship, no slash.
1. Chapter 1

**So, after rewatching the Lady in the Lake episode, I began to wonder what would have happened if Merlin and Freya actually would've run away together. This is just my humorous take on it, but I believe this would have actually happened. I'm very new at writing Merlin, this is only my second fic so I'm sorry if anyone is OOC or anything like that, it's just it's a very difficult series to write for. **

Arthur almost burst down Gaius' door in his fury. The old physician himself was working with some herbs on a counter, but looked up as soon as he observed the prince that had rudely barged into his quarters without an explanation.

"Gaius, have you seen my dim wit servant Merlin recently?" he interrogated, firm upon finding an answer.

"Why, I thought he was you, completing his duties just as he does every morning," Gaius answered, starting to look a bit wary.

"Well, he didn't wake me up on time, didn't serve me breakfast, didn't clean my chambers, didn't sharpen my sword or polish my armor, and has been absent from his duties the entire morning! And still, my father and that bounty hunter are very insistent that I find the druid that escaped whom I have to hunt after this afternoon! And yet, everywhere I have searched, he's nowhere to be found! So tell me Gaius, where is Merlin? Really? I know you're covering for him," Arthur demanded. The old man swallowed once, his eyes darting about nervously.

"I believe—he's in the tavern," Gaius replied.

"I checked," the prince responded.

"The stables?" the physician guessed once more.

"Checked."

"Somewhere in the castle, perhaps assisting the Lady Morgana or Guin—"

Arthur cut across him, "Checked."

Gaius suggested, "The lower town?"

"Already searched there. I would've spotted that stupid red neckerchief he always wears around his neck," Arthur confirmed.

"Perhaps he thought he had to collect herbs for me in the woods."

"_The entire morning_?" Arthur questioned doubtfully.

"Well, herbs such as rosemary are easy to come by, whereas sage—" Gaius had started, but he was once more interrupted.

"Forgive me if I say this, but I do not believe that theory is true at all. But you have to promise me Gaius that you're telling me the truth, that you honestly do not know where Merlin is. Do you, Gaius?" Arthur asked one last time.

"I swear my word, Sire, that I am telling you the absolute and whole truth," Gaius stated.

"Do you have any idea where he might be?" he inquired.

"Other than the ones I suggested, I am afraid not," Gaius said back.

Arthur stormed out of Gaius' chambers; unsatisfied he had not found any answers. It was starting to worry him. Not that Merlin was the one causing this worry, no, of course not, only the fact that he seemed to have just… vanished from Camelot. And if Arthur knew anything about his servant, the stumbling, bumbling boy who was always an enigma unsolved, he would never leave Camelot or Arthur for that matter. There was a possibility that the boy had gone to Ealdor, his old village, but the chances were slim that he would suddenly leave and not tell anyone about it, including Gaius.

He had reached the courtyard, armor on and all with the assistance of a different servant, and climbed upon his horse, for he had been ordered to find the druid girl at all costs. The bounty hunter had claimed she was cursed. Arthur almost shuddered just thinking about what kind of magical danger she might pose to him and the knights, but it was better than they found her so she could no longer wreak the havoc of her curse on the rural lands of the innocent.

"Are you ready, Sire?" Leon queried, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, of course," he answered.

"My lord, I don't mean to bother you, but where is Merlin? He usually accompanies us on these trips. I don't mean to intrude, I was only curious," Leon asked.

Arthur wasn't sure whether he should reveal that Merlin was officially considered missing as of this morning, so he just left it at, "Merlin is busy, um, with other duties he must attend to. After all, what help could he be out here?" Sir Leon nodded in agreement and the knights took off, riding off into the west. What he had said previously to Leon made him ponder a bit. What importance did Merlin have on all these quests? The man could barely fight, and yet Arthur always expected him to come along or even if the prince didn't really want his servant there, he was defiant, insisting that his place was with him.

Arthur muttered under his breath, "Damn it, Merlin. Now I have to search for two people."

**I know that this was incredibly short, it's only two pages, but I decided to make a two-shot just because it's a bit easier and also it's almost two in the morning and I'm running out of the sugar boost I got from eating chocolate earlier today, so I'm getting tired. But I hope you guys enjoyed it and please review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey there! I just want to thank everyone who reviewed, it really makes my day. I wasn't expecting anyone to like this, so thank you everyone! But just ignore my babblings, on with the chapter! **

**Chapter Two**

Merlin smiled, content, as Freya's long, brown strands of hair were now lying on top of his chest, her head resting upon his shoulder. They sat at a lakeside staring at the water and its vast depth, and how it twinkled as the sun's rays were reflected. Freya wore what was admittedly one of Morgana's old dresses, but she was the exact image of a princess. She didn't deserve to wear those rags she had previously called clothes, and Merlin would always make sure she was taken care of.

They had left Camelot just last night, and he did not regret that decision one bit. Of course, the knights and practically everyone would be searching for them, but they would never find them hidden in the mountains, or hiding atop the evergreen trees. He had arrived just before Freya was about to leave on her own, she said she could not be a burden on him any longer. He had finally convinced her to tell him about the curse, but last night somehow he was able calm Freya down when she had turned into the creature. She only reacted normally when he was there, and after she had changed back he still kept his promise he would not leave her. He finally got to her to agree that as long as he was there, the fact she was cursed did not and could not ever mean anything to him. If he was lucky he may one day find the sorceress who placed this horrid curse upon Freya and force her to reverse the enchantment she placed on the druid girl all those years ago.

"Freya," he whispered into her ear. She lifted her head from its initial position and gazed at him. He had brought a basket with all the necessities that they would need, but had snuck a little extra something.

"I stole this from kitchens, before we left. Not that it matters, but I thought you would like it," he explained pulling out a bottle of wine and two glasses to drink from. Merlin poured some into her glass and handed it to her. She accepted it, with almost a sad smile.

"I am afraid in the past few days I have made you a thief," she commented.

He asked, "And how so?" while pouring wine into his own glass.

"First, you stole me, from the bounty hunter that is. I never asked you to, I never spoke a word to you while in that cage, but for some reason you stole me away, like a knight in shining armor. And now you've stolen this. What did I do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve you?"

"I'll tell you what you deserve, Freya. A castle with everything any man could ask for and more, a bouquet of flowers stationed in every room, everyone at your beck and call, the freedom to do absolutely anything you please. I wish I could give that to you. But I can't. All I have to give you are the mountains, fields, wild flowers, and a lake."

"Merlin, _this_ is more than I anything I could have wished for. Me owning a castle, that's just a silly fantasy. I'm happy with this, Merlin. I'm happy with you," she confessed.

He found his face draw nearer towards hers, and their lips touched in the sweetest, most divine embrace that he had ever known. They drew back, for a moment's pause.

"You know, I still have to find those cows," Merlin uttered.

Freya chuckled, "Is that honestly all you can think of right now?"

He didn't mind as she gently tugged on his neckerchief to draw him in for another kiss, just as tender as one before it, and he didn't mind the fact that _this_ was to be his life forever more. Gaius, Guinevere, Morgana, Uther, Arthur, Kilgharrah, his supposed destiny, Camelot itself all slipped from his mind from that one kiss that gave him another, no, a better purpose in his life. For now, Merlin did not have a single care in the world.

OoO

Wearily, the knights continued their quest to find the druid girl. They had found an abandoned camp where they thought the girl might've stayed at, and while it wasn't a very definite clue to her whereabouts it was their only lead, so they had to follow it. But there was nothing _to_ follow. After that, there was no trail, so Arthur had decided on a random path, hoping it would lead them to the druid. She had covered up her tracks well, but there was no doubt that she had escaped Camelot with the help of the accomplice they had not found either.

What had been sun's peak when they had started was now sun's end as it slowly sunk back towards the horizon, a golden and orange hue currently spread across the sky, but it would not last long; only being an invitation for the night and stars to fall upon them. The prince knew it would be a fruitless effort to try to hunt after the girl now.

"We'll make camp here," he declared. The knights with a thankful sigh slipped off their horses, and already started to lay on the forest floor ready for slumber.

"I am very grateful for the efforts you have all put in today. But it shouldn't stop there. We cannot go back to Camelot until we bring back the druid, so I expect to see even better results tomorrow. I'll take the first watch for the night, the rest of you can get some sleep, you'll need it. We'll alternate shifts every two hours," Arthur announced. The knights nodded their heads in response rather groggily, and gladly let sleep take them over.

Arthur took his position, sitting on a rock. They had not started a fire and he did not plan to, no matter how cold it seemed. The smoke might attract bandits or smugglers who would fight them, rob them, and then kill them if the knights were not on their guard. Or it might alert the druid and her accomplice that they were near, and the criminals would scurry off into the night, and any hopes of finding them would be diminished to nothing. He sighed, because hunting down the girl was not his biggest concern, even though at this point it was his father's top priority for him.

Merlin. The prince knew that over the course of about two years, he'd grown rather fond of the servant. Not that he would ever admit it to the idiot. They had crossed Camelot's borders already, traveling for miles on foreign territory and still no sign of him. Gaius was on top of Merlin's whereabouts mostly, knowing where his ward was at practically all times. An amazing feat really for a man his age, but since he was rather good at keeping track of Merlin, that was why Arthur constantly relied on the physician whenever he needed to know where exactly the dim wit was. Sure, in the past there were several occurrences where his servant had vanished mysteriously for a few hours, usually when Camelot was under a siege by a sorcerer, but still he always returned without fail. He probably just hid the entire time because he was a coward.

This time was different though. Merlin may not confide in Arthur for everything, but he certainly did for Gaius. If he was leaving Camelot he would tell him of all people, and yet the physician had no idea where his ward could be. And Gaius had sworn he was telling the absolute truth to Arthur, the mere idea of the old, beloved member of the court lying to his face was absurd.

A twig snapped and the prince heard the clattering of hooves pounding against the leaf and root stricken forest floor. He had allowed his thoughts to run wildly, instead of fulfilling the position of guard as he was supposed to. He roughly shook each of the knights awake, and they each stationed themselves behind a tree. Their swords were held high and the groggy looks their faces once possessed were now washed with the expression of stern loyalty and sense of duty.

Arthur observed that surprisingly only one rider entered the clearing where they had set up camp. Bandits and smugglers traveled in packs, so this horseman couldn't belong to them. It took for the horse to take another step further and for the moon to cast directly on the stranger's face, to reveal that the man on horseback was not a stranger at all, but more of a forgotten friend that the royal had not seen in a very long time.

Arthur casually walked from behind the tree and slid his sword back into his sheath, approaching the familiar figure. He had not changed very much from the last time he had seen the man with the exception that he appeared to be more tired, worn down, not as full of hope as when he had first spotted the ambitious individual, after he had recently arrived in the kingdom. There was a spark about him that possessed those aspirations, but that no longer lingered in his eyes, instead filled with remorse and regret. His hair was a dark black and a tad unkempt, he wore a dark, brown, leather jacket and a loose tunic that revealed his hairy chest, a bit of facial hair coated his chin and right above his upper lip, and a small scar streaked across his right cheek.

"Lancelot! It's good to see you, friend," Arthur finally greeted, raising up a spare hand, and the visitor returned the gesture.

"It is a pleasure as always. I did not expect to see you here, your Highness. I was just leaving Haldor, on my way another village. Please, if you would excuse me if I am prying, but what business do you have here, miles away from Camelot?"

"The knights and I have been searching for a druid girl. Halig, a bounty hunter, demands I find her. Supposedly, she is cursed," Arthur explained. The knights took from their hiding places and strode towards Lancelot as well, swords still at the ready.

"Can we trust this man, Sire? Especially disclosing that kind of information," Sir Olaf mentioned.

"I trust Lancelot with my life. He is a noble man; one of the noblest men I've ever met, and is worthy enough that he deserves the title of knight of Camelot. He deserved it a long time ago."

"I thank you for your praise, Arthur, but I for one can attest that it is not true. I am now just a traveler, making my way through these lands. I apologize if I have disrupted your hunt in any manner, and I shall be on my way," Lancelot objected and was about to pull on his reigns to continue in his journey.

"Wait. You have not disrupted the hunt at all; in fact, we were just making camp for the night. I don't know when I'll ever see you again Lancelot, if I will at all, so stay a bit longer. You must be tired from your travels," the prince purposed.

Lancelot dismounted from his horse and tied the reigns around a nearby tree.

"I shall stay for an hour, and then I must leave. I must not distract you any longer from your true objective you set out to do in these lands," he responded.

Arthur looked back at the knights, who communicated their thoughts with each other through suspicious glances at him, Lancelot, and each other. They spoke everything on their mind without saying a word. Still, Lancelot was a comrade he could trust; Arthur knew that well with the past experiences he had met him. He truly proved his worth when he had tried to save Guinevere, and she might not even be alive if it weren't for the man standing next to him.

The knights resumed their sleeping, and Arthur once again sat on the rock, Lancelot sitting on the one right next to him.

Lancelot immediately addressed him once the knights were asleep, "You asked me to stay for a reason. I know it's not the lie that you told the knights."

Arthur murmured, "Yes, I did."

"I couldn't help but notice the absence of Merlin. I wasn't going to mention it at first, I thought he might be collecting firewood, but I know he's not here. Where is he?" the man inquired.

"Camelot, where he should be every time we go on a hunt," the to-be-king replied quickly. He really hated lying to people. He didn't think it set a good example for the knights, or for his people.

"If I know Merlin, then I know that if he could help it he would be at your side this very moment. It wouldn't be me sitting on this rock. Where do you _think_ he is, Arthur?" Lancelot questioned with concern.

Arthur stated, "I honestly have no idea. He was in Camelot last night, and then—gone. No one else has a clue where he is, including Gaius. I'm getting worried. To be honest, even though this may sound daft to you, I think I'm searching harder for Merlin than I am for this druid."

"To be honest, I would be concerned for the sake of your friendship if it was the other way around. I change my mind. I shall stay, and help you find Merlin. He is a good friend of mine, as well," Lancelot declared.

"Thank you, Lancelot. You didn't have to do this."

"It is a pleasure, Arthur Pendragon."

And so they remained silent, both lost in thought, until Sir Leon told him that two hours had passed, and he was to take watch. Arthur nodded his head absently and went to lie near the rest of the knights, many of who were snoring quite obnoxiously loud, a fact that they unfortunately couldn't help. In his dreams Lancelot's words reappeared in his head. _"If I know Merlin, then I know that if he could help it he would be at your side this very moment." _

Of course, that's what it was! How could he have not seen it sooner? _Merlin had been kidnapped. _

**So, that's where I'm going to stop for now. It's a bit longer than the first chapter, but I thought I should add more this time. **

**I can't help it. I'm a diehard Merlin/Freya shipper and I had to have some kissing in there somewhere. **

**So the answer has finally dawned upon Arthur, the only explanation possible which is **_**wrong.**_** Oh poor Arthur, he's trying so hard. And Lancelot has arrived to help in the search for Merlin. I'm sorry; I love Lancelot and didn't think he got enough appearances in the show because of his untimely death, so I'm inserting him here. Deal with it. **

**By the way, I've just created a poll today on which new Merlin story I should work on. I have four ideas, and I don't know which one to start on first, so please vote. The titles and summaries on my profile, so if you want to see what they all are about, check there. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and please review!**


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